Vulcanizing apparatus



D 1948- w.'c. WRIGHT ET AL 2,455,637

VULCANIZING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 2, 1946 1 3 Sheets-Sheet l l I STEAMsauecs COMPRESSED DANIEL 6. ROWE JE.

1 E- WILLIAM c. fizz GMT Y Dec. 7, 1948. wy ET AL 2,455,63?

- VUL'CWANIZING APPARATUS V 7 Filed Jan. 2, 1946 5 Sheet-Sheet 2 WILL/AMc. WEIGHT DANIEL 6- zowz JE. H ELMEJZ FORD ROBE/ET? Dec. 1, 1948; 'wfc.WRIGHT Em 2,455, 1

VULCANIZING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 2, 1946 :5 Sheets-Sheet 5 II n I(Ill/[I1 awe/mm- WILLIAM c. WEIG DAN/EL G- ROVVE JE.

ELMEE FOQD 20,95 275 portion I8 and thus lock the closure 41 in positionwith relation to the annular member I0.

Normally resting on the top oi base I and slidably fitting within theinner cylinder I is a plate 60 which has secured thereto as by threadinga piston rod BI which passes through .a

centrally disposed hole in base member I0 and through a suitable packinggland 62. This base member I0 has a downwardly projecting boss 63,

to which is secured a lower cylinder by means; of bolts 65 and intowhich the piston rod 5| pro This piston rod has onits lower end a.

jects. piston 66, and the lower end of lower cylinder 64 is closed by asuitable catch 61 secured thereto by any suitable means such as bolts68.

Into the chamber disposed within the inner cylinder I5 there is adaptedto be placed a plurality of molds comprising sections and II into whicha suitable wheel I2 is adapted to be placed,

on which a rim or tire 13 of rubber'is disposed, to

be vulcanized onto'the wheel I2. These molds, such as '50 and II, haveoverlapping edges shown at I4.

The entire depth of thecylinder I5 can be filled with several of thesemolds of different shapesland sizes, and all can be processed at thesame time after pressure is applied'to same;

Means for applying pressure to the molds within the cylinder I5 and forconfining. the closure or lid 41 in position comprises a suitablesourceao 80 of compressed air having leading therefrom a pipe BI from whichbranch pipes 82 and 83 lead to suitable four-way valves 84 and 85.

Valve casing 84 has ports, 86, 81, 80, and 89, port 88 being an exhaustport. From port 81 a pipe 90 leads to the upper end of cylinder and fromport 80a pipe 9| leads to the lower end of cylinder 30. Valve casing 84I has rotatably mounted therein a suitable core'92 having passageways Aand B passing ther'ethrough. j Valve casing 85 has ports 93, 94', 95,and 96, 96 being an exhaust port.

The valve casing 85 has 'rotatably mounted therein a suitable core 9'!havin passageways C v 45 and D leading therethrough. Pipe 83 is"con-"nected to port 93 and extending from port 04 isa pipe 98 which leads tothe upper end of lower cylinder 64. Port 95 has leadingther'efroma pipe99 which leads to the lower end of cy1in-;

cylinders I5 and I6; but where the type of wheel is such as to permitlive steam to bepresent in the vulcanizing chamber, then the steamcan'be admitted not only to the space between the inner and outercylinders I5 and I6 but'als'o to the interior of the inner cylinder I5to thus hasten the vulcanizing operation as better heating will beaccomplished by having steam inside the inner cylinder I5 as well as inthe space surrounding the inner cylinder I5.

A suitable source of steam I00 is provided, such" as a suitablegenerator, and leading from this'is a pipe I0! which has branchpipes I02'and I03 leading therefrom. Pipe I02 penetrates the outer I03 isconnected to communicate with the space 2I between the inner and outercylinders I5 and I6 These pipes I02 and I03 have suitablemanuallyioperated valves I04 and I0 5 therein. In order toprovide forthe passage of steam through the interior of cylinder I5 and through thespace 2| and to allow condensate to drain therefrom, pipe I06 leadsthrough the base I0 and communicates with the interior of cylinder I5jwh ile'ipipe "I01 leads through the base I0 and communicates with thespace 2I between inner andoutercylinders I5 and I6. These pipes havesuitable valves I08 and I09 therein, and connect to a return line I I0which has a suitable trap III therein. Pipe II2 leads from this trap andmay exhaust into the atmosphere or, it may lead back and join to thesource of steam I00 as at II2 to provide a'circulating system forthesteam to be passed through the interior of cylinder I5 and the space2| between the cylinders I5 and I6.

f Method of operation With' the "valve core 92 in position shown inFigure '2 and with core 91 in Figure 3 turned about from the positionshown in Figure 3 to cutoff all ports from communication withpassageways D and C, compressed air willbe passed through pipe 9| to thebottom of cylinder 30 which will cause the piston 35 to be movedupwardly which will disengage the free ends of levers M fromthe-circular cavity 20 andunlock the'li'd dl, and the lid 41 will beraised upwardly until the'member 40 strikes thepacking gland nut whichconfines the packing gland 31, and in this position; any number of moldswith wheels and tires therein are packed into the inner cylinder I-5.-Thenfcore 02 will be turned counter- '-clockwise a quarter revolutionfrom the position shown in- Figure 2"which will cause channel Btoestablish communication between ports 86' and 81. This will placecompressed air into the upper *end of thecylinder 30 and will move theparts to theposition' shown in Figures 1 and '4. This will lock theclosure 41 in position. This air pressure will be left in on position,and then valve core'91 in valve 85 will be rotated a quarter revo---lution'in a clockwise manner in Figure 3, which cylinder I 6 by asteam pipe fitting and communicates with the interior of inner cylinder"I5. Pipe "will cause channel Cto establish communication between ports93 and 95.

This will force compressed air into the lower end of cylinder 64 andwill move piston 60 upwardly to where the molds will be pressed againstthe lower surface of closure member 41 and the required amount ofpressure will thus be exerted andthis valve will be left in on position.With the parts in this position then, steam can be admitted to the innerchamber I5 as well as 'to the outer chamber 2| until thevulcanizingoperation has been completed. If it is not desired to admit steam to theinner cylinder I5, then steam can; be admitted only to the space 2| togive the'proper amount of "heat for the ,proper length of time to theobject being vulcanized y when the operation is completed, 'valves I04and I 05 will be'moved to closed position and then J valve core 92willbe turned to the position it 00- cupies in-Figure 2 which will allowcompressed air to enter the lower end of cylinder 30 and, at the sametime, pipe'90 will vent. through channel A fto the exhaust port 88and,'thus, the piston 35 will move upwardly to disengage and finallylift the closure 41 into upmost position. In this, posi- "tion, themolds containing thewheels can be removed from the inner cylinder IS andthen valve core 9] can be turned to the'pos'ition occupied in Figure 3which W111 force compressed air through pipe 98 and air will vent out ofpipe 99 through exhaust port 96, and the piston 60 will be moved tolowered position as shown in Figure 4 ready for refilling the innercylinder l5 with another set of molds and wheels for another vulcanizingoperation.

In the drawings and specification, there has been set forth a preferredembodiment of the inverition, and although specific terms are employed,they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not forpurposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in theclaims.

We claim:

l. Vulcanizing apparatus comprising a base member, inner and outercylinders of different dimensions having their lower ends welded to theupper surface of the base member and forming an annular spacetherebetween, an annular memher having its lower surface welded to theupper ends of the two cylinders and having a groove extending around itsinside surface and having an annular recess in the lower wall of saidgroove, a gasket disposed in said annular recess, a plate slidablymounted in the lower portion of the inner cylinder and having a pistonrod extending downwardly therefrom through the base member, a cylindersecured to the lower surface of the base member and into which thepiston rod projects, a piston on the lower end of the piston rod, aclosure member adapted to fit into the annular member secured on theupper ends of the two cylinders and to rest on the gasket, the closuremember having a plurality of radially disposed levers slidably andpivotally mounted therein intermediate their ends, a second piston rodand means for pivotally securing the other ends of the levers to thesecond piston rod, a frame secured to the annular member and extendingupwardly, an up-- per cylinder mounted on the frame and having a secondpiston slidably mounted therein and connected to the second piston rodprojecting upwardly from the closure member, a pin secured to and risingupwardly from the closure member, and the last named piston rod having abore therein slidably fitting over the pin, a plurality of molds beingadapted to rest on the plate associated with the lower cylinder, meansfor admitting compressed air into the upper end of the upper cylinder toforce the closure member downwardly and to force the pivoted ends of thelevers downwardly to cause their free ends to slide outwardly andupwardly into the groove in the annular member, to lock the closuremember in position, means for forcing compressed air into the lower endof the lower cylinder for forcing the plate associated therewithupwardly in the inner cylinder to compress the molds with suitableobjects to be vulcanized therein against the closure member, means foradmitting steam into the inner cylinder and other means for admittingsteam into the space between the inner and outer cylinders, means forreturning the steam from the lower portions of the inner cylinder andspace between the inner and outer cylinders and back to the source ofsteam, means for forcing compressed air into the lower end of the uppercylinder and venting air from the upper end of the upper cylinder toraise the piston in the upper cylinder to withdraw the pivoted leversfrom the groove in the annular member and to raise the closure member,and means for forcing compressed air into the upper end of the lowercylinder and exhausting the air from the lower end thereof to lower theplate in the lower portion of the inner cylinder.

2. Vulcanizing apparatus comprising an inner cylinder forming acompartment into which objects to be vulcanized can be placed, an outercylinder of larger dimensions than the inner cylinder and providing aspace therebetween, a base member to which the lower ends of thecylinders are secured, an annular member secured to the upper ends ofthe two cylinders, a closure member fitting into the annular member, aplurality of sliding levers mounted on the closure member, the annularmember having a cavity extending around the inner surfaces thereof intowhich the free ends of the sliding levers are adapted to fit, a pistonrod on which the inner ends of thelevers are pivotally mounted, an uppercylinder disposed above and supported by the annular member into whichthe piston rod projects and having a piston disposed within saidcylinder, means for admitting a compressed fluid to the upper end of theupper cylinder for forcing the closure member into the annular memherand for forcing the inner ends of the levers downwardly to project theirfree ends into the groove in the annular member to thus lock the closuremember in position, a plate mounted in the lower portion of the innercylinder and on which molds containing objects to be vulcanized are,adapted to rest, a piston rod extending downwardly from the plate andhaving a piston on its lower end, a lower cylinder surrounding th lastnamed piston and means for admitting a compressed fluid into the lowerend of the lower cylinder for forcing the plate in the lower end of theinner cylinder upwardly to force the molds against the closure member,means for admitting steam into the inner cylinder, means for admittingsteam into the space between the inner and outer cylinders, means foradmitting a compressed fluid to the lower end of the upper cylinder forreleasing the levers from the annular member and lifting the closuremember upwardly, means for forcing a compressed fluid into the upper endof the lower cylinder for lowering the plate in the inner cylinder, themeans for admitting the compressed fluid into the two ends of the upperand lower cylinders comprising means for venting the compressed fluidfrom one end of the cylinders at the same time the compressed fluid isadmitted into the other end of the upper and lower cylinders.

WILLIAM C. WRIGHT.

DANIEL G. ROWE, JR. ELMER FORD ROBERTS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

